LAHORE, 18 January 2006 — With only 14 balls being bowled during the fifth and final day the first Test between Pakistan and India ended in a tame draw here yesterday. The only bright lining, on an otherwise dark and gloomy day was a masterly 254 from 247 balls by opener Virender Sehwag, the highest-ever Test score made at over a run-a-ball by any batsman.
Lahore was fully covered with thick, black clouds with occasional drizzle, which held up the start of the play till after lunchtime. By this time the result — a draw — was the foregone conclusion. The only interest in the match at this stage was if the Indian openers, Sehwag and his skipper, Rahul Dravid would be able to get enough overs to beat the 50-year old all-time record for the highest opening partnership. For the Indians that was the only incentive left in the match when they came to the Qaddafi Stadium yesterday morning to resume their first innings at 403 without loss.
When play at last resumed after a very long wait for the few hundred diehard cricket fans at the ground Sehwag added seven runs to his overnight 247 to reach 254. But three balls later he was gone, trying to cut a short-pitched delivery from Naveed-ul-Hasan, edging it to Kamran Akmal.
At last long Pakistan managed to claim an Indian wicket after toiling in the ground for two days.
Dravid could not add to his overnight score of 128 and when only two balls of the day’s third over were bowled that the umpires once again called off play due to bad light and it was decided to take an early tea-break. After a final inspection at 15.30 local time and consultations between the umpires and the two captains it was decided that no play was possible and the match was abandoned as draw.
The two teams now move over to Faisalabad for the second Test of the three-match series, which begins from Jan. 21.
